Page 2 of Rival Hearts

“Right.” She giggled and glanced around before she shimmied up against me. “Well, I’d lookreallygood on your arm as a date, and I’m good in front of the press, the type of girl you won’t regret the press seeing you with…”

Right. She wanted my money. Fuck it, they all wanted my money, and that pissed me off.

“Look, I’m really not interested.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“Sure I do. You’re like all the rest of them. You do some kind of bottom-tier job, hoping that someone like me will come along so that you don’t ever have to work hard to get a lot of money.You’d rather parade yourself on social media as an influencer and the more contacts you can collect that make you sound likesomebody, the more your followers will like you and make you feel validated when you’re anobodybecause you didn’t do anything to earn it.”

Her jaw dropped. “Are you always this rude?”

I sighed. I knew I was being an ass, but I didn’t have enough alcohol in my system to take this one home to get laid, deal with her attempt to butter me up, and I was sick and tired of women taking my bank account more seriously than they took me.

“Hi, honey,” a woman said, appearing from the side. She looped her arm through mine and smiled sweetly at me. “Did you get stuck at the office?” Her hazel eyes were almost the color of honey, and she gave me a pointed look, willing me to play along. “I’ve been waiting for you. Come, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Who are you?” Candice asked.

“I’m his girlfriend. Who are you?” She frowned, looking Candice up and down like the cat dragged her in.

“Oh.” Candice glared at me. “You could just have said you’re in a relationship.” She tilted her head. “Funny, I didn’t read anything about it in the paper.”

“We prefer to keep our private livesprivate,” my pseudo-girlfriend said sweetly. “If you had someone like this hunk, you’d want to keep him all to yourself, too.” She ran her hand over my lapel.

“Hey, Lottie,” someone said and waved at the girl next to me.

She waved at them absently, keeping her attention on me and my situation.

Candice huffed and turned away without another word.

The moment she was gone, Lottie let go of me.

“Sorry, you looked like you needed saving,” she said. “She looked ready to dig her claws into you and you’re not very well-equipped.”

I blinked at her. “I’m usually better at it.”

“Rough day?”

“You have no idea.”

She smiled brightly and it shifted the constellation of freckles on her nose, lighting up her whole face. “Well, now you’re free to unwind, or get drunk with the rest of them, or whatever.”

“Thanks…”

She started to turn away.

“Can I get you a drink?”

She turned back to me, question marks in her eyes. “I figured you’d rather be left alone.”

“It’s the least I can do to say thanks. Lottie, right?”

“Only my friends call me that.”

“Well, you were a friend indeed. Let me return the favor.”

She grinned at me, and God, she was breathtaking. Wavy blonde hair, a slender build, and a vibrant attitude.

“I didn’t catch your name.”